Former court vice president leaked info, took bribes
Xi Xiaoming, former vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and removed from office for corruption, China's top discipline inspection watchdog announced Tuesday.
With the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) launched an investigation into Xi and found he had "seriously breached discipline rules," the CCDI said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Xi breached "political discipline rules and the political code of conduct," defying the country's efforts to strengthen the rule of law.
Xi also violated the Party's organizational discipline rules by being "disloyal and dishonest" to the Party and concealing "personal matters" that he was supposed to report.
The CCDI also accused Xi of taking advantage of his position to seek profits for family members and of attending business receptions using public funds.
Moreover, Xi breached confidentiality rules by leaking classified trial information to unauthorized parties, and sought unwarranted profits for others in civil litigation after accepting bribes.
The CCDI statement said Xi is suspected of accepting bribes and seeking profits for others by taking advantage of his public office.
Xi was ordered to refund the money he took as bribes.
The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Xi has also been placed under "coercive measures," which might include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention and arrest.
Zhu Lijia, a professor of public management at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Xi's case showed the anti-corruption determination of the Chinese government as anyone can face investigation and punishment regardless of their department, position and backgrounds.
"It also showed the importance the Chinese government places on judicial justice, which is closely related to social justice," Zhu added.
Xi was one of the seven vice presidents in the SPC and is the highest-ranking SPC official to have been investigated after the 18th National People's Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 when a national anti-corruption campaign was launched.
Before Xi's case, Huang Songyou, a former SPC vice president, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for accepting bribes from 2005 to 2008.
